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The Spectacle Blog
Ryan Dunn became famous — or perhaps “notorious” is a better word — for doing outrageous stunts on the 2000-2002 MTV series Jackass, which led to three big-screen movies. Dunn died early Monday morning when he lost control of his Porsche 911 GT3 in West Goshen, Pennsylvania.
Dunn had reportedly been drinking with friends prior to the crash, and was killed along with a yet-to-be-identified passenger when his 2007 Porsche jumped a guard rail, hit a tree and burst into flames. With official understatement, police said “speed may have been a contributing factor to the accident.”
While speed almost certainly was a factor — the GT3’s top speed is over 190 mph — Dunn was driving a car well-known for handling difficulties. The Porsche 911’s rear-engine design makes it prone to skidding sideways. “All that weight in the back, swinging around like a big pendulum, ready to punish you the first time you run out of straight road,” said Richard Hammond, host of BBC’s Top Gear program, who called it ”the Grim Reaper’s company car.”
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More Blog Posts by Robert Stacy McCain
http://spectator.org/blog/2011/06/20/ryan-dunn-and-the-grim-reapers
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Ed F| 6.20.11 @ 9:21PM
The 911 and its variants do require special handling ON A RACE TRACK. When you are putting the pedal to the floor during a turn you don't want to lift off the gas. When you do that the rear stops digging or pulling into the pavement. The outward force of the rear can overcome the lateral resistance of the tires and you will find yourself starting to spin. If you look at the arial shot of where he crashed and couple that with 100 feet of skid marks this has nothing whatsoever to do with a 911.
Grzmlyk| 6.20.11 @ 10:28PM
His best stunt to date.
Hope he had a camera rolling.
AWESOME!
JimH| 6.21.11 @ 7:51AM
As Daffy Duck said of another terminal stunt, The problem is I can only do it once.
Bob Grant| 6.20.11 @ 11:29PM
Never heard of him but RIP nonetheless. Thank goodness no third party individuals were involved.
PCC| 6.21.11 @ 5:23AM
I guess you mean apart from the unidentified passenger who also lost his/her life.
Jose Barreiros| 6.20.11 @ 11:42PM
Mr McCain, you should be more careful about what you write and -more to the point- what you link to. The Top Gear bit on your article specifically speaks to how the 911 USED to be "The Grim Reaper's Company Car" and how the newer models are much better behaved on the road.
Cpm| 6.21.11 @ 8:55AM
Except the Top Gear report was done on their closed track/airstrip, with a professional driver.
daniel| 6.21.11 @ 8:50PM
"except" nothing - you are a moron. The GT3 is perfectly balanced. Listen to the Top Gear report again with the dick in your ear removed.
swinepearls| 6.21.11 @ 4:29AM
I have no idea why we would even waste space commenting on a drunk behind the wheel. Once more: There is no individual responsibility.
The passenger?
Yes, Dunn a 34-year old jackass.
The only blessing: They didn't hit someone else. But I am sure that the police and rescue crews were more than iritated to be out cleaning up at 4 a.m. for two more dumbasses.
So he gets his 5 inches of space. Maybe one potential drunk driver will heed this, the 45,918,000th warning.
Cheap golf clubs | 6.21.11 @ 8:17AM
great post
Tina B| 6.21.11 @ 9:07AM
Such irony. One can only wonder, was the poor passenger howling, "punch it, Chewie" or screaming, "Slow down, Jackass!" I am not making a joke, I am pondering how quickly life can be over. Here one minute and gone the next.
Neither was worried about dying 5 minutes before, and one can only hope in the last few moments of their lives, they had the sense to try and "pack their bags." I truly believe Christ meant the parable of the vineyard dressers, and the story of the thief on the cross who asked Jesus to remember him in His kingdom. Christ assured him, a thief about to die, a place in His kingdom that day.
Two lives on earth are over, and two souls reside somewhere, right now. What if that were you?
Bob Grant| 6.21.11 @ 10:15PM
Very nice. Thank you.
Mike| 6.21.11 @ 10:27AM
Life imitating art?
DPE| 6.21.11 @ 10:34AM
Given modern traction and stability control systems, combined with the fact Porsche has been working on taming the 911 for, oh, 50 years or so now, it's no more difficult to handle than any modern sports car. Whatever he was doing would have ended the same way in a Corvette, Ferrari, M3, etc. Speed doesn't kill, it's poor (and perhaps alcohol impaired) judgement that leads to an abrupt stop that does the trick.
Bob Grant| 6.21.11 @ 10:21PM
The real question is could he have handled the car at that speed (approx 130 mph) on those turns sober?
I say no. US roads are not built for those speeds in any car, even the precious 911. Talk all you want about how one should have handled the turn but the result would have been the same:
Having your charred remains being plucked off a tree with tweezers by some paramedic @ 4 in the morning.
moo| 6.21.11 @ 7:38PM
I liked the post except for the Porsche bashing. You are obviously misinformed about their handling capabilities.
Pat Bell| 6.25.11 @ 12:48PM
Misleading article - what Richard Hammond actually said was that "in the '70's and 80's the Porsche 911 was the grim Reaper's Company Car." He goes on to explain how that has long since been sorted out, making any 911 a supremely competent - and safe - sports car. Many (competing auto manufacturers included) consider the 911's handling the 'benchmark' for the world.
Please, folks, don't take things out of context - it's easily spotted and makes y'all look unprofessional.